E-Paper
DNA matches, Guard held for Nari Niketan rape
The Chandigarh police have arrested Chhotu Ram (32), who worked as a security guard at Ashreya, in the Nari Niketan rape case after his DNA sample matched the sample of the mentally-challenged victim’s newborn baby.
The Chandigarh police have arrested Chhotu Ram (32), who worked as a security guard at Ashreya, in the Nari Niketan rape case after his DNA sample matched the sample of the mentally-challenged victim’s newborn baby.
Addressing a press conference at the city police headquarters on Wednesday, Kuldeep Singh Pannu, DSP (Security), said DNA samples of 23 male employees at Ashreya, Sector 47, had been taken, and Chhotu Ram’s sample had matched that of the baby girl.
Ashreya, an institute for the mentally-challenged, is being run under the aegis of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. Chhotu Ram is presently working at GMCH-32 as an attendant.
The police produced Chhotu Ram in the court, which remanded him in judicial custody till December 26. The police had earlier arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in the case.
After the DNA report was received, Chhotu Ram admitted that he had raped the girl, even though he had denied it earlier. He is a native of Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) and is residing at Ram Darbar here with his wife and children.
The mentally-challenged rape victim (18) had given birth to a girl on December 2, 2009. Earlier, in July, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the Chandigarh Administration to medically terminate her pregnancy, but the Supreme Court had ruled against the order.
She was at the Missionaries of Charity, Delhi, till December 1998, and later sent to Chandigarh.
In March 2005, she ran away from Missionaries of Charity, Chandigarh. After being traced, she was taken to Nari Niketan. On March 13, 2009, she was sent to Ashreya.
